Re: [Help-gnunet] "Social latency" and the isolated GNUnet user

[Christian Grothoff]

Dear Geeb,

Partially in recognition of this serious bootstrapping issue for GNS, we
have plans (but not much code to show for it yet) to "merge" GNS with
the GnuPG web-of-trust, which would allow us to help bootstrap GNS via
the existing WoT.

A second issue is that we need many applications using GNS, so as to
increase the chances that your have social contacts using it as well. So
we've been trying to convince GnuPG, Tor, I2P and Matrix to also support
GNS as a PKI --- in addition to using GNS as a PKI for applications in
GNUnet itself. We're sure it can be made to work technically, and the
developers we talked to are generally open to the idea --- but it takes
time and effort to go from idea to spec to code to deployment.

Hopefully this (and efforts to make GNUnet less buggy, easier to use and
install) will eventually address this issue, but I agree with you that
we're not there yet.  Sorry that all I can offer is a plan, but at least
there is that.

Happy hacking!

Christian

On 07/14/2015 12:48 PM, Geeb wrote:
> Before I start ranting about this, I realize that there isn't really a
> solution to this problem (but hear me out anyway).
> 
> I use free software and have done for many years on my personal devices,
> wireless routers - everywhere I can - I get the message that free software
> promotes your freedom, so I use it!
> 
> In my network of friends I am unusual in this respect. I work in IT and
> even colleagues who use free software as part of their jobs most likely
> don't run it on their personal devices.
> 
> Most people don't really care what software their devices run so long as
> they appear to function. Most people don't understand how to implement
> cryptography to protect their privacy/security and therefore neglect to do
> so. Even those who might want to protect these things might not have the
> technical understanding of how to achieve this.
> 
> So, of all the people I know I don't know anyone else with both the
> interest and the technical ability to get started with GNUnet. other than
> myself.
> 
> To experiment with GNUnet you need to have at least one other person
> involved in order to investigate the workings of say GNS.
> 
> So ... what do I do? I could ask you, dear reader, if you want to
> participate in a journey of investigations into GNUnet. BUT ... accepting
> and trusting, say, a public key of someone you don't know from Adam is
> completely defeating the whole web-of-trust idea. I know that for
> experimental purposes this shouldn't be a showstopper, but you appreciate
> what I mean.
> 
> It seems that for projects like GNUnet, getting a critical mass of users
> will be a problem, as we constantly suffer from the "negative feedback" of
> the sparse distribution of those with the interest and the technical
> ability to participate! Not that the leaders of the project should be
> discouraged, but it is a frustration for average GNUnet peer operator.
> 
> Or, maybe I should choose more technically competent friends! :-)
> 
> Geeb
> 
> 
> 
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